Love or Duty--A saga set in 1920s Liverpool (29 page)

It would mean, of course, that her parents would no doubt expect her to return home and look after Kelly. She quite liked the idea now that things were so different at home but she wondered what Bryn's reaction would be. If only she knew what his feelings about her really were she thought uneasily.

Kelly's appearance in the court was a nail-biting time for all of them. Penny was up extra early to make sure that as well as being dressed up in her new clothes Kelly was looking her best in every other respect.

Before they left Penkett Road Mrs Forshaw inspected them both like a sergeant major marshalling troops for battle. Kelly had to hold out her hands so that Leonora could see that her nails were clean and she even checked to make sure that Kelly had a freshly laundered handkerchief in her pocket. Then she hugged her and wished her well.

Captain Forshaw insisted on driving them to Seacombe Ferry and kept reminding Penny how important it was to be at the court in good time. Repeatedly he asked where Bryn was going to meet them and worried about whether he would arrive in good time.

‘I sincerely hope he doesn't get held up by some emergency or other at the hospital,' he said loudly, trying to make them hear above the clatter of the gangplank being lowered from the
Royal Daffodil
when it pulled alongside as they reached the terminal.

‘Why don't you come with us just in case he does?' Penny invited but her father shook his head. ‘I don't want to be seen actively influencing my fellow magistrates,' he mumbled as he bid them goodbye and wished them good luck.

Once they reached the court Penny and Kelly were shown into a side room that was far less intimidating than the main courtroom had been, and it was agreed that Kelly could sit beside her. Bryn, however, was asked to sit in a separate row which made it impossible for them to speak to each other during the hearing.

Penny felt her spirits sinking as the magistrate, a middle-aged man with a bald head, sharp features and gold-rimmed spectacles, took his seat and started shooting question after question first at her and then at Bryn.

His expression was inscrutable but he kept making copious notes on a pad in front of him. It was like being interviewed for a job, Penny thought uneasily. She half turned and glanced sideways at Bryn to see how he was taking the interrogation and saw the puzzled look on his face.

When it came to Kelly's turn to be asked questions by the magistrate Penny's heart sank even more. She gave Kelly's hand a reassuring squeeze because she was so frightened that she was visibly shaking, and she was sniffing and snuffling trying hard to keep back her tears.

Although they had spent a long time coaching Kelly on what to say and telling her to make sure she spoke up clearly, Penny was very aware that her replies were often disjointed or hardly audible.

By the time it came to the summing up Penny felt in a complete turmoil. She was sure the magistrate hadn't understood the case as well as he might despite all their efforts to make him see how much Kelly needed to be with them and how keen they were to do the very best they could for her.

Penny waited in growing trepidation as he looked up from the copious notes he had made on his pad. ‘This child is in need of strong supervision and needs to be in a very stable background,' he pronounced solemnly in a hard voice as his stern gaze fixed on Kelly.

‘That is exactly why we want you to let us take her into our care,' Bryn stated. ‘Miss Forshaw and myself are both very concerned about Kelly's future and we can assure you that we are determined to give her all the support, guidance and love that she needs.'

‘How are you proposing that you will be able to do that, Dr Cash?' the magistrate queried, looking at him from over the top of his glasses. ‘You are both single people. You live and work in Liverpool and Miss Forshaw's home is in Wallasey. Exactly where will Kelly Murphy be living since, as I have already said, she needs to have a very stable background?'

Bryn paused and took a deep breath. ‘For the present Kelly will be living at Penkett Road in Wallasey with Miss Forshaw and her family. I can assure you that there will be no problems of any kind. She will be well looked after and supervised by them and I will be keeping in close touch and visiting them every day.'

When there was no comment at all from the magistrate who was shaking his head as yet again he read through his notes, Bryn cleared his throat and added earnestly, ‘There is one other extenuating point that we have not yet mentioned.'

The magistrate looked at him over the top of his glasses. ‘Well, go on, Dr Cash what is it?' he asked testily.

‘Miss Forshaw and I are planning to be married quite soon so it will only be a matter of a few weeks before Kelly has the permanent home background with us that you feel is so important for her,' he stated. ‘In the meantime as I have already said, she will be in Miss Forshaw's care and they will remain living with Captain and Mrs Forshaw in Wallasey.'

‘I see! So you and Miss Forshaw are soon to be married? Well, that does put a different complexion on the case,' the magistrate conceded as he made further notes on the pad in front of him. Then he looked directly at Bryn, his brows drawn together in a frown. ‘Why didn't you mention any of this sooner, Dr Cash?' he asked with growing impatience.

‘I didn't want to embarrass Miss Forshaw by making a public announcement. We haven't completely finalized all our plans,' Bryn said crisply.

‘I see.' The magistrate took off his gold-rimmed spectacles and pulled out a large white handkerchief and concentrated on polishing them. ‘Well,' he said after he had replaced them, ‘in that case my decision must be that Kelly Murphy returns to St Saviour's Remand Home until you have done so and you and Miss Forshaw are married.'

‘Kelly is extremely unhappy about being at St Saviour's because some of the older girls there are bullying her,' Bryn persisted. ‘Miss Forshaw is so concerned about this, as well as worrying about Kelly's welfare and her future, that she is finding it extremely difficult to concentrate on the preparations for our wedding.'

The magistrate pursed his lips in a silent whistle and once again referred to the copious notes he had made, shaking his head from side to side as if perplexed.

‘I did intend to make a ruling right away, but as a result of this additional information I now need to talk the case over with some of my colleagues. You will be informed of my decision in due course. In the meantime Kelly Murphy may remain in the care of Captain and Mrs Forshaw.'

Penny had been very taken aback when Bryn had informed the magistrate they were about to be married, but she said nothing as the three of them left the courtroom. Although she was relieved that they still had Kelly with them she was anxious to sort matters out with Bryn as soon as it was possible to do so. She had been completely stunned by his remark and couldn't put it out of her head.

She wondered if she had heard correctly or perhaps misunderstood exactly what he'd said but decided to wait until the two of them were alone, rather than discuss the matter in front of Kelly.

Kelly was jubilant that she was going back to Penkett Road. She skipped along the pavement between them, holding their hands and chattering away happily. All traces of the nerves she'd been suffering from while she had been in court had vanished. Penny didn't have the heart to point out that once the magistrate had reconsidered the case she still might have to go back to St Saviour's.

Bryn was due at the hospital at midday so Penny decided to take Kelly straight back to Wallasey to let her mother know what had been decided so far. Bryn promised to join them for dinner at Penkett Road that evening after he had finished work.

Leonora was slightly mystified when Penny said that the magistrate was going to consult with colleagues before reaching a decision.

‘I never heard anything like it,' she grumbled. ‘Your father would have made his mind up and taken the right decision there and then if he'd been the one dealing with it. It is so obvious that she would be better off with us rather than in St Saviour's. That man shouldn't be on the bench if he can't decide the outcome of such a simple case.'

Penny hesitated, wondering whether to tell her the real reason for the magistrate's indecision but then held back. She wanted to have the opportunity talk to Bryn first. She would feel such a fool, she told herself, if she told her mother that she and Bryn were to be married and then found that he had only said that to ensure that Kelly was left with them.

In the afternoon Penny took Kelly to the park at Harrison Drive which was at the other end of the promenade from New Brighton. It was more than a mile away from Bilkie's Circus so there was no fear of Kelly hearing the strident music blaring out from the sideshows to remind her of what had happened so recently.

As they walked home she felt at peace with the world. Kelly was holding her hand and enjoying an ice-cream cornet. As she listened to her happily chattering away Penny thought how wonderful it would be if Kelly was permanently in her care and they could always be like this.

She had grown so attached to Kelly that she couldn't bear to think of being parted from her; certainly not if Kelly had to return to St Saviour's. She was quite prepared to make any sacrifice necessary in order to take care of her and to see her grow up happy.

After they'd finished their evening meal with her parents and Kelly was tucked up in bed, Bryn suggested going for a walk.

‘Now, what exactly did you mean by what you said in court?' Penny asked tentatively when they reached New Brighton and headed for the promenade.

Bryn frowned and looked away pretending not to know what she was talking about.

‘Why did you make such a statement?' Penny asked bluntly, the colour rising in her cheeks as she ignored his attempt to draw her attention to a huge liner on the other side of the Mersey that was being manoeuvred into position in front of the Liver Buildings by three small tugboats.

‘I did get carried away,' Bryn admitted ruefully. ‘All I could think about was how desperately you wanted to prevent Kelly having to go back to St Saviour's. I was pretty sure that the one thing that stood in the way of that happening was the magistrate thinking that as a single woman you wouldn't be capable of looking after her properly on your own.'

‘I see.' She felt her emotions churning knowing that she had desperately been hoping that he had meant what he'd told the magistrate.

‘Well, what you said certainly made him think again,' she admitted dryly, conscious of the tension between them. ‘If they check up on your statement though and find that it's not true then they are bound to take Kelly away immediately and that will be a terrible blow for her.'

Bryn hesitated then guided her towards one of the shelters on the promenade that were strategically placed there to shield people from the keen wind coming off the river. ‘They don't have to find out that I was wrong do they?' he asked as he turned her round to face him, his gaze searching her face.

Penny felt her heart flip. ‘I … I don't know what you mean,' she stuttered.

‘Oh yes you do,' he murmured softly. He pulled her closer and looked into her eyes.

Penny's heart thundered. She knew Bryn had told her he loved her and she had dreamed of the day when he would ask her to marry him so that they could spend the rest of their lives together. Now that it was happening she wasn't sure whether he really meant he loved her or whether he was offering to marry her because he knew how much she cared about Kelly.

As his mouth came down and covered hers in a hard demanding kiss all her doubts vanished. As she surrendered willingly to his kiss and felt the pressure of his body against hers and his arms tightening around her she gave a deep sigh of happiness.

‘I've been wanting to do this again for a very long time,' he told her softly.

‘So have I,' she whispered back.

‘What? Wanting to kiss me or waiting for me to kiss you?' he teased.

‘Both!'

They laughed, but when he released her from his arms within seconds Penny felt anxious again, and still needed to be convinced even though it took her every vestige of strength to ask him.

‘If you really are quite sure that it is what you want to do and that you are not marrying me simply for Kelly's benefit,' she said hesitantly. Even as the words left her lips common sense told her that even if Bryn was doing it for Kelly's sake then it was because he knew how much Kelly meant to her.

Bryn pulled her back into his arms and as his lips once again claimed hers, Penny didn't need any more words to confirm his feelings.

‘I think we'd better go and tell your parents our good news before someone else does,' Bryn said when they finally managed to pull apart.

‘You mean you are going to formally ask my father for my hand in marriage?' Penny giggled.

Bryn took her into his arms once more and kissed her again.

‘No, not exactly because if I do that he may refuse,' he said in a serious voice. ‘I think it might be better if I tell him outright that we are planning to get married and hope he approves and is in agreement.'

‘What if he forbids it?'

‘We'll still go ahead and get married because I have no intention of letting you escape, not now that I am sure you feel the same way about me as I do about you.'

Anyway,' he added as she reached up and kissed him on the cheek, ‘It wouldn't be the first time you've gone against his wishes now, would it?'

Captain Forshaw didn't raise any objection at all when they told him and Mrs Forshaw their news. Indeed, he seemed almost relieved to hear that Bryn and Penny were to be married.

‘Let's hope this means that Penny will settle down now and put all thoughts of getting custody of Kelly Murphy right out of her head,' he stated his voice full of relief.